Expendable
by No Guns Only Roses
Summary: Splinter loves all of his children dearly, but is he willing to sacrifice one of them so that the rest may live? Or will he allow the Shredder to kill them all?


"…What?"

"You heard me, Yoshi. Choose who will die."

A bound Splinter knelt before the terrible monster that he once called "brother". The mutated Oroku Saki, now known as the Super Shredder, pointed his blades at Michelangelo and Karai, who were also bound with chains.

Behind the rat, his sons were being held back by Shredder's henchmen. Leo glared back at Tiger Claw, Raph was fighting to get out of Fishface's grip, and Donnie only continued to stare in horror while Rahzar sneered cruelly.

"Just go ahead and kill the freak, Master," Rahzar growled.

"That is up to Yoshi," Shredder said, his eyes never leaving Splinter. "So who will be?"

Splinter glared up at Shredder and gritted his teeth. "Saki," his voice full of venom, "you'd do this to Karai? Your own daughter?"

"She is not my daughter," Shredder glanced back at Karai, who continued to look up at him with eyes full of hate and resentment. "She has made it very clear that she wants nothing to do with me or the Foot Clan. If she wishes to betray me and share the same fate as her 'family', then so be it."

"But," Splinter glanced at his both of his children with concern, "why are you making me choose? Why not destroy us all, or just me for that matter? _I'm_ the one you want."

"I could kill you," Shredder suddenly grabbed Splinter by the neck and pulled him close to his disfigured face. "But I've come to realize that it'd be more satisfying to watch you suffer. And what better way to make you feel true pain and loss than by forcing you to kill one of your own?"

Splinter's glare did not falter. "I will not choose, Saki," he growled.

"If you do not," Shredder threw Splinter to the ground and walked toward Mikey and Karai, "then I will kill them both, and your other 'sons' will die next." He placed both pairs of blades at Mikey and Karai's necks. "And only you will remain alive," he glared back at Splinter with his glowing blue eyes. "Do you truly wish to live with that kind of loneliness, Yoshi?"

Splinter was speechless. He could never choose which one of his children would die. He was tempted to just let Saki kill them all and spare himself the pain of being forced to choose. But he didn't want to lose _all_ of his babies. To live all alone with the regret of not being able to save at least one of them would be unbearable. Either way, he was going to have to make a very difficult decision and live with it for the rest of his life.

Splinter looked back at his son and daughter, both of whom looked very scared and helpless.

Miwa was his only "real" child, his very own flesh and blood. She was supposed to live a happy, normal life with her natural father and mother, a life that had been abruptly taken from her by Saki. He remembered the day he first held her in his arms, her big brown eyes looking up at him in wonder and curiosity. He swore that he'd always keep her safe from harm. He failed to save his beloved wife Tang Shen, so he couldn't afford to fail Miwa, as well.

Then there was Michelangelo. Despite all his faults and his inability to focus, Michelangelo had always made his father very proud. He was always optimistic and never failed to make his family smile even during the darkest of times. He also had this gift to see the good in others, no matter how many sins they may have committed in the past. He may never be the perfect ninja or student, but in Splinter's eyes, he'll always be the perfect son. And secretly, Splinter had always thought of him as the unwavering sunlight that lit up the entire Hamato household.

Both of them were equally precious to him. He just couldn't choose between them. He didn't know what to do.

Mikey sensed his father's distress and smiled sadly at him. His blue eyes looked deep into Splinter's brown ones. The message was clear.

 _Pick me._

No. No, he couldn't. Splinter frantically shook his head at his son, who only nodded in response.

His very brave, selfless son was offering himself in Karai's place, and there was no fear in his eyes. Only love and determination.

Leo obviously understood the silent communication between the two, as he began to thrash wildly in Tiger Claw's hold. "NO! MIKEY!"

Raph began to panic. "What?! What's going on?!"

"Mikey, what did you say?!" Donnie screamed at his only little brother.

"Sensei, let the Shredder kill _me_!" Leo begged his father. "Just don't pick Mikey or Karai! _Please_!"

Splinter only continued to stare at Mikey, whose eyes brimmed with tears. His youngest son had always placed his brothers before himself, and he wanted so badly for his sister to be reunited with her family. He certainly wouldn't want them to all die like this and would gladly take the bullet for them. As his father, Splinter knew this better than anyone.

"Silence, Turtle," Shredder sneered. "It is not up to you." He then turned to Splinter and leaned in close to his face. "Well?"

The rat closed his eyes and pursed his lips. He felt like his heart was being torn in half.

"If you do not choose quickly," Shredder whispered coldly, "then I will kill them all, and you will be left with _nothing_."

He looked up at Mikey for the last time, and his son gave him another encouraging nod. He was unafraid and ready to lay down his life for his family.

With a very heavy heart, Hamato Yoshi made his decision.

"I choose Michelangelo," he said barely below a whisper and lowered his head.

His other sons screamed in horror. Karai was crying and begging her father to reconsider. Mikey remained silent but mouthed the words, "I love you," to Splinter.

Shredder chuckled cruelly. "Very well. The decision has been made."

He then walked to where Mikey knelt and stood over him, his blades extending even further.

Mikey's brothers continued to scream and sob.

"MIKEY, NO! NO! NO!" Leo tried so hard to break himself free and get to his little brother.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM, YOU MONSTER!" Raph's blazing eyes were directed at Shredder.

"No, please," Donnie could only sob openly. "Mikey…"

"Guys, guys," Mikey said softly. "It's okay. I _want_ Sensei to choose me. Please don't hate him for this."

"But…but Mikey," Leo stuttered as tears slid down his cheeks, "you-you can't do this to us."

Mikey gave his bros one last smile. "Bye, guys. I love…"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Shredder slashed him right across the face. Mikey fell to the ground, coughing and spitting out blood.

Splinter turned away. He felt like a coward, but he just couldn't watch his baby being torn apart. He could hear his other children let out howls of anguish and the blades slashing Mikey's flesh again and again and again. Every sound his dying son made stabbed his heart. The Shredder's henchmen were laughing maniacally, especially Rahzar, who had always despised Mikey the most.

 _"Daddy?"_

 _Splinter looked down at his five year old son, who was clutching onto his robe and looking up at him with his big blue eyes._

 _"Michelangelo," Splinter gently scolded his son, "I have repeatedly told you and your brothers to either call me 'Sensei' or 'Master Splinter'."_

 _"Oh, sorry," Mikey said sheepishly. "Sensei… do you like me?"_

 _Splinter raised an eyebrow at this. "Michelangelo, why do you ask such a question?"_

 _Little Mikey lowered his eyes and bit his lower lip. "I know I mess up all the time," he said quietly. "And I cry a lot." When he looked up at his dad, his eyes were filled with tears. "And I make you mad all the time. So…do you still like me? Or…or do you hate me?"_

 _The rat immediately wrapped his arms around the tiny Turtle and picked him up. He snuggled his son close to his chest, his hand resting on the dome of his green head._

 _"Michelangelo," he whispered, "I could never hate you. And I don't just 'like' you. I love you with all my heart. And that will never change, no matter how many times you make me mad or how many mistakes you make."_

 _"Really?" Mikey squeaked._

 _"Yes, my son," Splinter softly said with a warm, loving smile._

After what felt like an eternity, the sounds stopped and the entire room was silent. Splinter finally found the courage to look up. What he saw before him made him retch and break down completely.

Michelangelo's body had been heavily mutilated and his face was barely recognizable from all the slashes. His bright orange had been torn to shreds and was now soaked with blood.

Karai's face and armor were splattered with Mikey's blood. "M-Mikey?" she whispered shakily with tears in her eyes.

Shredder loomed over the dead Turtle, his blades dripping with blood, and Splinter just knew that he was smiling wickedly.

Raph suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs and did a backward head butt, breaking Fishface's nose in the process. The mutant let go of his captive, who charged at the Shredder with his sai drawn out.

"Raphael, no!" Splinter cried out, struggling to break his chains.

Shredder merely tossed Raph aside like a rag doll, and the Turtle landed painfully on his shoulder, shattering it.

Leo and Donnie heard the sickening crack of Raph's bones. They all cried out to him, asking him if he was all right. Raph only groaned in response, clutching his shoulder in pain.

The monstrous mutant chuckled and walked toward the broken rat, who didn't even look at him and only focused on his injured hotheaded son.

"You have always been so predictable, Yoshi."

At these words, Splinter looked up at Shredder confused.

"I knew that you would choose that freak," Shredder continued. "You wouldn't risk putting your only real child in danger. These mutants, these filthy reptiles, they're merely your soldiers. Compared to your daughter, they are…expendable."

Never before had Splinter felt such a strong urge to tear somebody apart with his bare hands. Had it not been for the chains, he probably would've, too.

"Release them," Shredder ordered his henchmen, who immediately let go of Donnie and Leo.

"Hmph, _I_ wanted to be the one to end that freak's life," Rahzar huffed as he crossed his arms. "But I'll admit, it was entertaining to watch him being slashed to pieces by Master Shredder."

Fishface kept a hand to his nose, which continued to bleed. "I'll kill that Turtle for breaking my nose," he growled as he glared at Raph.

"No," Tiger Claw sternly said. "We are done here. Right, Master Shredder?"

"Yes," Shredder replied. He turned to give one last look at the grief-stricken Karai. "You made the mistake of rejecting me," he said in a chilling voice. "I've sacrificed _everything_ for you, yet you continue to spit in my face and despise me so. Therefore, I am severing all ties with you, and you will soon meet the same fate as that freak, Hamato Miwa." He and his soldiers then left Yoshi and his remaining children to mourn their little one.

As soon as they were released, Donnie and Leo didn't even bother to remove Splinter and Karai's chains. Leo ran straight to Mikey's body while Donnie helped Raph onto his feet. The Turtles gathered around their brother's body and wept bitterly for him, with Raph falling onto his chest and Donnie holding his cold, bloody hands. Leo stroked Mikey's head, his tears dropping onto his brother's face.

"Leo," Karai whispered, "I'm…I'm so sorry. I never wanted this to…"

Leo didn't even seem to be paying attention to her and only continued to stroke Mikey. Raph raised his head and tenderly kissed the scars on Mikey's face. During their toddler years, whenever Mikey would get a "boo-boo", he'd usually run to his Raphie and ask him to kiss it better. So Raph instinctively touched the wounds with his lips, even though it wouldn't do any good now that his baby brother was dead. Donnie pressed Mikey's hands to his mouth and kissed them as well.

Splinter, who remained bound on the floor, couldn't even hold his fallen son, let alone kiss him. He opened his mouth to speak, but only broken sobs came out.

Leo's head suddenly whipped in his direction, a murderous look in his eyes. He got up and walked toward the sobbing rat, pulling out a katana from behind his shell. Splinter looked up to see Leonardo pointing the tip at his throat. The deep blue eyes that once held admiration and love for him were now completely white with rage and hatred.

"You killed him," he said in a low voice, though it sounded so cold that it sent shivers up Splinter's spine.

"Leonardo, please," Splinter tried to explain. "I did not want to choose him. I wanted to save _all_ of you. But your brother…"

"Save it," Leo interrupted. "I should've known you'd pick him. Back when the Triceratons invaded, after Mikey got captured, you said it was more important to destroy the black hole generator than to go after him."

"Leonardo…"

"SHUT UP!" Leo roared and the tip of his katana now pricked Splinter's neck, a tiny drop of blood forming. "I'm not finished. It's obvious that Mikey has always been your least favorite student. So when push comes to shove, you'd sacrifice him in a heartbeat for the sake of the mission."

Splinter couldn't help but shake his head at his son's accusations. "No, my son," he choked. "None of that is true. I loved your brother dearly, and I'd never abandon or sacrifice him so willingly. The same applies to the rest of you."

Leo's raging white eyes did not even change. "I don't believe you. From the very beginning we were nothing but replacements for your lost daughter, and now that she's back, you don't need us anymore. The Shredder was right: to you, we're expendable."

Before Splinter could argue otherwise, Leo interrupted him once again. "Well, guess what? My brothers are more important to me than you are. Mikey was our brother long before you even became our father. And if he goes, then we _all_ go."

Splinter could see that his son was deaf to his pleas and that any love that he had for his father had completely evaporated and been replaced with hate. He lowered his eyes in defeat and looked at his reflection in Leo's blade.

"Do you wish to kill me now?" he whispered sorrowfully.

"More than anything," Leo immediately answered with almost no emotion in his voice.

"Then go ahead."

Leo paused for a moment before removing the blade from Splinter's throat. The rat closed his eyes and waited for the blade to either decapitate him or pierce his heart. He wanted his son to put an end to his miserable life. After all, he failed as a father to protect his children. Furthermore, he _allowed_ Saki to brutally murder one of his babies so that he could keep the rest of them alive.

He was an absolute failure that deserved death.

Splinter heard the blade being brought down. But instead of pain or instant death, he felt his chains fall to the ground. He looked up at Leo in bewilderment.

"No one else is dying tonight," Leo simply said, before he turned to Karai and freed her as well. Karai stood up and tried to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but the Turtle shook it off.

"What," Karai asked in a soft tone, "what will you and your brothers do now, Leo?"

Leo knelt beside Mikey's body, his shell still facing her. "I don't know," he said quietly. "But one thing's for sure, we are _not_ returning to the lair. Ever again." He glanced at her over his shoulder and gave her a sad smile. "Live a long, happy life…Miwa."

Leo picked up his baby brother and carried him away with Donnie and Raph following close behind. Raph continued to sob miserably, while Donnie stared blankly ahead, seemingly numb to the world.

And just like that, the Turtles walked out of Splinter's life forever.

The only ones that were left in the empty room were Splinter and Karai.

Splinter stayed kneeling on the floor, his eyes downcast and his ears all the way back. He looked like a completely broken man. Karai wrapped her arms around her father in an attempt to comfort him.

But he didn't even feel his daughter's embrace.

He felt nothing.

 _"I love you with all my heart."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yes, my son."_

 _"Okay. But you know what?"_

 _"What?"_

 _"I love you even more, Daddy! Uh, I mean, Sensei!"_

* * *

 **So I was inspired by Gwydion and Demi4yah to do a "choice" fanfiction. Seems that I like to torture Mikey in my fics (lol) but hey, the Nick TMNT writers like to torture Donnie apparently. And no, I'm not a sadist, despite what you may think. Plus, I love Mikey, he's my favorite turtle.**

 **Also, I'm still a little mad at Splinter for saying that stopping the Triceratons was more important than saving Mikey during "Annihilation Earth". So I wanted to touch on that in this fic.**


End file.
